On the morning of May 22, the 70 meter long, 450 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Frigg Sydfyen (IMO: 8222824) ran around on the Baltic Sea at Bøjden, Denmark. The ferry had departed from Bøjden with 50 passengers when it blown off course by strong winds and grounded onto a sandbar near the pier. The pilot boat attempted to pull the ferry free, but the vessel was firmly stuck. A tug was dispatched from Svendborg to refloat the Frigg Sydfyen.
Passengers remained on board for another 8 hours before they would be safely taken back ashore. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
On the afternoon of May 4, four tourist passenger vessels capsized on the Huachong River in China’s Guizhou Province. Reports state a sudden severe thunderstorm with strong winds caused the vessels to rollover spilling some 84 passengers and crew into the water. Reports state two vessels had no passengers and seven total crew on board. These seven crew members were able to swim to safety. The other 2 vessels were loaded with passengers. Many passengers were able to swim to safety, but some became trapped in the overturned vessels. Authorities launched a search and rescue with over 500 emergency personnel to the area.
Reports state that 70 people were pulled from the water suffering from minor injuries. Those injured were taken to hospital for treatment. Operations continued into the night, but rescuers were only able to recovered those who perished in the incident. Ten bodies would be eventually recovered from the river.
Photo: Xinhua News
Photo: Xinhua News
Photo: Xinhua News
Authorities state the two vessels that capsized were rated to carry 40 passengers and were not overloaded at the time of the incident. The names of the four vessels were not disclosed.
On the evening of April 29, the 24 meter long, 20 dwt catamaran ferry Fjordcharter Adventure (IMO: 9196723) ran aground in the fjord just outside the port of Nordfjordeid, Norway. The Fjordcharter Adventure was proceeding with just a crew on board when a passing cruise ship and strong winds pushed the ferry onto a sandbank. The ferry would remain aground several hours until the rising tide allowed it to be refloated. No reports of injuries and no pollution was released. Reports state there was no disclosure if the ferry sustained any damage.
